High performance washing process for vertical axis automatic washer

ABSTRACT

A method for laundering a textile wash load is provided for use in a vertical axis washing machine in which a concentrated detergent solution containing a detergent concentration of 0.5% to 4% by weight is continuously applied to a spinning wash load for a predetermined time period to thouroughly wet the clothes load. The amount of detergent solution used is only slightly in excess of the amount required to saturate the clothes load at the given rotational speed. After the time period, additional water is added to the solution to dilute it to a normal concentration and then mechanical agitation and rinsing steps are conducted to complete the wash cycle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of washing clothing articlesand, more particularly, to a high performance method of washing clothingarticles in a vertical axis automatic washer that includes aconcentrated detergent solution washing operation.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Prior art washing machines use various different methods for washingclothes loads but, in general, all methods utilize varying amounts ofmechanical, chemical, and thermal energy to remove soil from the fabric.Many machines employ an agitator that is mounted on a vertical axis anddriven in an oscillating rotary fashion to agitate the clothes load inthe presence of a detergent solution. After a predetermined period ofagitation, such a wash cycle is typically followed with a rinse cycle.By way of example, conventional methods for washing a six pound "normal"load of mixed cotton and polyester fabric in a vertical axis washertypically include twelve to fourteen minutes of agitation in a wash bathhaving a volume of about 64 liters of water, resulting in a water tocloth ratio of approximately twenty-four to one (by weight). Detergentconcentrations within the range of 0.06% to 0.28% are typically usedduring such washing operations, the detergent concentration beingdefined as the percent by weight of detergent for unit volume of water.

Some prior art wash methods wash the clothes load in a concentrateddetergent solution for the purpose of enhancing soil removal or reducingthe amount of water consumed during the washing operation. Suchconcentrated wash methods have been most commonly employed on horizontalaxis washing machines which provide mechanical agitation of the clothesload by tumbling the load during the concentrated washing operation.U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,574 describes such a concentrated wash process. Oneprior art method is known for conducting a concentrated washingoperation in a vertical axis washer of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 4,225,992. This process is, however, limited to small wash loads andrequires the use of a separate, auxiliary wash basket.

The known prior art wash methods, whether practiced in a horizontal axisor a vertical axis machine, employ varying amounts of mechanicalagitation of the clothes load. That is, during the concentrated washingoperation the individual items of clothing are moved relative to eachother and relative to the wash basket or drum. While such agitation ofthe clothes load is generally desirable in achieving good soil removal,agitation of the clothes load is also known to cause various types offabric damage. The amount of fabric damage that occurs during a washingoperation is a function of many variables, including the duration andtype of agitation provided, the type of fabric being washed, and theamount of water in the wash bath. The damage most commonly experiencedincludes abrasion, pilling, and deformation due to stretching, tangling,etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The applicants have found that the extent of mechanical agitationimparted to the clothes load and the water to cloth ratio are importantparameters when attempting to achieve good washing performance in avertical axis concentrated washing process. By way of example, forvertical axis washing processes which impart mechanical agitation to theclothes load, as the water to cloth ratio is decreased from theconventional level of approximately twenty-four to one, as by decreasingthe amount of water in the wash bath, the amount of soil redeposited onthe clothes load tends to increase, even where very high detergentconcentrations, such as one percent, are used. In particular, soilredeposition was found to reach an unacceptable level when the water tocloth ratio had been reduced to five to one.

The applicants have, however, discovered a concentrated washingoperation that can be successfully practiced in a vertical axisautomatic washer at water to cloth ratios well below five to one,through the use of a concentrated spin-wash operation which does notinvolve mechanical agitation of the clothes load.

The applicants have further discovered a high performance washing methodwhich can be viewed as a sequential combination of a concentratedwashing operation using a low water to cloth ratio, in which the clothesare spun in the wash basket while a concentrated detergent solution issprayed on the clothes and recirculated, with a second washing operationduring which the basket is substantially filled with water andmechanical agitation is applied to the clothes load. Very little wateris required during the concentrated washing step, and no mechanicalagitation is applied to the clothes during this operation. That is, theclothes do not move relative to each other during the concentrated washstep, even though they are being spun about the vertical axis of themachine.

It has been found that an amount of detergent solution only slightly inexcess of that required to saturate the clothes load is sufficient forthe concentrated washing operation. The excess detergent solution iscollected and recirculated back onto the clothes load, and the amount ofexcess solution required is determined by the design of the pump, thefluid circulation system, and the type of fabric being washed.

The tub and basket may or may not be drained after the concentratedwashing operation. In either case, the detergent remaining after theconcentrated washing operation can also be used, after dilution by afill operation, for the second washing operation. This fill operation issimilar to a rinse operation since only water is added, not additionaldetergent. However, since detergent either remains in the washer in theconcentrated solution or absorbed in the clothes, applicants define thisnext step as a washing operation because additional soil removal actionoccurs during mechanical agitation in the presence of a relativelynormal detergent solution concentration.

Various means can be used to deliver the concentrated washing solutionto the clothes load. By way of example, a nozzle or spray head locatedadjacent to the top basket opening can be used to direct the liquid ontothe clothes load as it spins. Alternatively, an agitator having meansfor spraying the washing solution and on to the clothes load may beused. Both types of structures are known in the art, and the improvedwash method can thus be practiced with a washing machine that is ofessentially conventional construction.

It has been determined that, contrary to the teachings of prior artconcentrated wash methods, uniform washability can be achieved withoutthe need for pre-wetting the clothes load or redistributing the clothesload during the concentrated washing operation.

While it is possible to wash a clothes load using either the applicants'concentrated washing operation or a conventional washing operation(employing mechanical agitation) alone, it has been determined thatneither operation alone provides the level of performance that can beattained by combining these operations. This is particularly true whenthe clothes are being washed in very hard water, or in cold water, thatis water of room temperature (approximately 20° C.). Thus, it is anobject of the invention to provide an improved washing cycle for use ina conventional vertical axis automatic washer which:

(A) Uses little or no hot water, thereby providing an energy savingssince the water temperature does not have to be increased to achieve ahigh degree of washability, also this provides an advantage in washingpermanent press clothes since the wash water can be kept below thetemperature at which the permanent press resin sets;

(B) Provides improved washability where very hard water is used (withoutrequiring additional detergent or water softeners or conditioners);

(C) Provides improved washability for certain fabrics, such aspolyester;

(D) Requires no more total water (and can use less) than a conventional"regular" wash cycle in a vertical axis washer;

(E) Reduces the amount of mechanical agitation required to obtain highlevels of washability, thereby reducing the potential for fabric damageand making the cycle truly usable for all washable types of fabric; and

(F) Can be practiced in a conventional vertical axis automatic washer,for any load size, without the use of special accessories.

In sum, the method of the present invention is much less sensitive tothe type of detergent used, the temperature of the wash water, and thehardness of the wash water than a conventional washing cycle. Thispermits very good performance to be obtained under a very wide varietyof conditions, thus making the washing machine significantly easier touse.

The present inventive method can also be used obtain good washability ofgarments that are lighter than water (such as down jackets, etc.) whichtend to float on top of the water, and are therefore difficult tolaunder using a conventional vertical axis wash method.

The present invention is believed to have the following novel aspectsover the prior art.

1. The use of a vertical axis washer to conduct a concentrated washingoperation which does not provide mechanical agitation of the clothesload during the concentrated spin washing operation.

2. The use of a concentrated "spin wash" in a vertical axis automaticwasher.

3. The use of a concentrated "spin wash" in a vertical axis automaticwasher where the volume of wash solution is used is only slightly inexcess of the amount retained by the spinning clothes load, to permitrecirculation and reapplication of the wash solution

4. The use of a concentrated, low water volume "spin wash" in which theclothes load need not be redistributed or otherwise agitated during theconcentrated wash step.

5. The sequential combination of a concentrated "spin wash" with an"agitate wash" (normal water level, mechanical agitation) in a washcycle for a vertical axis automatic washer.

6. A washing process which is performed in a concentrated, low watervolume spin wash, and in which the basket is subsequently filled withwater to a normal level to dilute detergent to approximately normalconcentration and then to provide a conventional agitation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vertical axis washer partially cutaway in which the inventive method can be practiced

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view through the interior of the washer.

FIG. 3 is a chart which describes a representative wash cycle embodyingthe steps of the present inventive method.

FIG. 4 is a graphic illustration of the test results of the effects ofwater temperature on soil removal using the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a graphic illustration of the test results of the effects ofwater hardness on soil removal from polyester using the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated an automatic washing machine generally at10 having an exterior cabinet 12 with a top cabinet panel 14 and anopenable lid 16 thereon. A control console 18 has a plurality ofcontrols 22 to operate the washer through a series of washing, rinsingand fluid extraction steps. The openable lid 16 provides access to a topopening 24 through which a load of clothes can be placed into aperforate basket 26 which is concentrically carried within animperforate tub 28. A vertical axis agitator 30 of conventional designis provided in the wash basket to provide mechanical agitation to theclothes load. The agitator has a bottom skirt portion 32 and a pluralityof radially extending vanes 34. The tub and basket assembly is supportedby a conventional suspension system, including a plurality of legs 36,which are secured to a bottom frame 38. Counterbalancing means 40 aresecured between the legs 36 and another portion 42 of the suspensionsystem. An electric motor 44 operates through a transmission 46 to drivethe basket 26 in a rotary motion as well as the agitator 30 in anoscillatory motion.

FIG. 2 shows the interior of the washer in greater detail in which it isseen that there is a sump 48 positioned at the bottom of the wash tub 28which connects to an outlet conduit 50. The outlet conduit 50 connectsto a pump 52 which is driven by the motor 44. Proceeding from the pump52 is a conduit 54 which has a Y connection with a first leg 56 and asecond leg 58. In the Y connection there is a pivotable valve member 60which is operated by a solenoid (not shown) to close either the firstportion 56 or second portion 58. The second portion 58 extends to adrain for disposal of liquid in that portion and the first portion 56continues upwardly in a conduit 62 which is connected to a spray head 64for spraying wash liquid into the interior of the wash basket 26. Thespray head is positioned such that the recirculated wash liquid isdirected downwardly and laterally in the direction of basket rotationduring spin, to thereby cause the spray to extend in a relativelyuniform manner from an upper portion 26a of the sidewall of basket 26 toa bottom wall 26b of the basket.

The sump 48 of the wash tub should be large enough to contain the totalcharge of concentrated detergent solution needed during the initial spinwash cycle. Also, the sump should be configured for efficient recaptureand recirculation of the relatively small quantity of concentrateddetergent solution used in order to minimize the water required inexcess of that needed to completely saturate the clothes load during thespin wash process.

FIG. 3 is a chart that illustrates a complete high performance washcycle suitable for use in laundering a mixed load of cotton, polyester,and cotton-polyester blend fabrics. In step 68 a charge of detergent isloaded into the washer along with a predetermined amount of water toprovide a concentrated detergent solution. This concentrated detergentsolution should be added directly to the sump 48 and not onto theclothes load. This is done while the basket and agitator remain in astationary position and preferably before the clothes load is evenadmitted into the basket. This assures that the sump area will beprovided with the full charge of concentrated detergent solution. It hasalso been found to be desirable to add an anti foaming agent such as SAG240 manufactured by Union Carbide, especially if soft water or a lightlysoiled clothes load is to be washed. Water hardness and presence of soilwill reduce the amount of sudsing by themselves.

Step 70 is to load the fabric into the wash zone, that is into thebasket 26 where the washing operation occurs. As stated above, thispreferably occurs after the detergent and water have been introduced tothe sump area so that the detergent will be completely disolved or mixedinto a uniform solution rather than being placed directly onto theclothes load.

Step 72 is to apply the concentrated detergent solution to a spinningwash load. This is refered to as the spin wash cycle in that the clothesload is not mechanically agitated, it merely is spun with the washbasket and held by centrifugal force against the basket wall during thespinning while the concentrated solution is applied to the spinning washload. The application of the solution is done by directing the detergentsolution through the spray head 64 which directs the solution againstthe clothes load held against the basket wall. Preferably, the directionof spray is in the direction of the spinning tub, that is, if the tub isspinning in a clockwise direction the spray is directed laterally towardthe wall in that same direction of spin.

The concentrated detergent solution is preferably a volume which isslightly in excess of the saturation level for the clothes load. For thepurposes of this specification, saturation is defined as the point atwhich a load of clothes contains all the liquid it can hold. Addingadditional liquid at this point merely causes a like amount of liquid tobe discharged from the load. Under this definition, the saturation pointvaries inversely with spin speed due to liquid removal under the actionof centrifugal force. The detergent concentration in the wash liquidshould preferably be in the range of 1% to 3% during the spin wash step72.

Washability tests have been conducted using 420 RPM and 640 RPM spinspeeds during the spin wash step. Little difference in performance wasobserved. However, Applicants believe that the performance of the spinwash would fall off considerably if a very low spin speed was used. Alow spin speed would greatly reduce the quantity of detergent solutionbeing passing through the load during a given period of time. It is alsobelieved that forcing the water through the fabric by centrifugal forcecauses it to take a relatively direct (radial) path through the fabric,as opposed to following a path of least resistance, which would tend toprovide non-uniform wetting. The problem of getting uniform wetting ofthe fabric increases as the amount of wash liquid is decreased. Thus, inorder to obtain the use of a higher concentration of detergent in thesolution without increasing the actual amount of detergent requires thatless water be utilized to arrive at the final solution volume. Since itis desirable to use a low water to cloth ratio it is important thatsteps be taken to ensure that uniform wetting of the fabric occurs.

It has been found that it is desirable during the spin wash step 72 torecirculate and reapply the concentrated detergent solution against theclothes load as many times as is possible during a given time periodwhich enhances and assures complete wetting of the clothes load. Thus,spin speeds in the range of 420-640 RPM are desirable in order to causethe detergent solution to quickly and directly pass through the clothesload to be recaptured in the sump area and recirculated and resprayed onto the clothes load.

It has also been determined by the Applicant that some washing, that issoil removal, is taking place during the spin wash step, sorecirculation of the detergent solution several times through the loadis desirable. It appears that during this step of the wash cycle thereis a chemical cleaning action occurring during which time the bondsholding the soil to the fabric are broken or weakened chemically withoutthe flexing action of a mechanical agitation step. Also, since arelatively normal amount of detergent is placed into an abnormally lowamount of wash water, the amount of detergent required to chemicallysoften the water is less, and therefore more of the detergent isavailable for the chemical cleaning action.

It is also within the scope of the present invention to apply acontinuously fresh concentrated detergent solution to the spinning washload and to direct the concentrated solution which has been dischargedfrom the clothes load directly to drain rather than recirculating thesame solution repeatedly through the clothes load. However, thepreferred arrangement is to recirculate in order to reduce the amount ofwater and detergent required.

The concentrated spin wash step 72 continues for a predetermined timeperiod and then the wash basket 26 is brought to a stop. At this pointan optional step 74 of draining the washer of the collected concentrateddetergent from the sump may occur. There will, of course, be an amountof concentrated solution which has been absorbed into the clothes loadwhich will remain within the washer. This optional draining step merelywould reduce the overall amount of detergent remaining in the washer.

The next step would be to fill the wash zone with water as is done in anormal washing cycle which will, in this case, form a more dilutedetergent solution. This dilute solution is made up of the originalconcentrated solution and the new water. Therefore, the originaldetergent is reused in the dilute solution. Filling the wash zone inthis manner results in a detergent solution that corresponds to thenormal solution concentrations recommended by the detergentmanufacturers for conventional wash operations, that is, in the range of0.06% to 0.28%.

This filling step 76 is similar to a rinse operation in that the washerwould be automatically filling with water to predetermined level todilute the degree of detergent concentration within the washer. In thepresent method however the result is different than a rinse operation inthat the resulting detergent concentration is a "normal" concentrationrather than a more dilute concentration.

In step 78 the wash load is mechanically agitated in the dilute solutionof normal concentration similar to a normal washing cycle. It is duringthis mechanical agitation wash step that the fabric is flexed to furtherbreak the bonds between the soil and fabric and to provide a mechanicalcleaning of the clothes within the chemical solution as opposed to theprimarily chemical soil removal process of the spin wash step. Theremainder of the wash cycle incorporates rinsing steps as illustrated inFIG. 3 such as a first drain and spinning step 80 in which most of thesoil laden solution is removed from the washer prior to a first sprayrinse step 82 in which the solution retained by the fabric load isdiluted, followed by a second drain and spin step 84 to again remove thesoil and detergent held in solution. A second rinse operation 86 andthird drain and spin step 88 serve to virtually completely remove anyremaining detergent or soil from the fabric load. As is known, theserinse steps may be spray rinses or deep fill rinse steps as is desired.

The spinning of the wash load during the concentrated is desired. spinwash cycle has been determined to be an important part of the total highperformance wash process. From tests it appears that the centrifugalforce moving the water through the clothes load during a spin operationprovides a more uniform wetting of the load than merely spraying aconcentrated solution on a fixed (non-spinning) load. The centrifugalforce is also believed to effect a more rapid wetting of the clothesthan could be achieved through the use of gravity alone. Also, a moreuniform washability level is achieved for a load that has been spun forseveral minutes with continuous recirculation of the concentrateddetergent than for a load which has spun only for a period long enoughto wet the fabric, after which the load was brought to rest.

A specific time period which has been found to be acceptable in step 72is 10 minutes. An acceptable time period for agitation in step 78 is 6minutes. This time period is substantially less than is acceptable for aconventional agitate only wash cycle which is approximately 12 to 14 oreven up to 18 minutes. This provides a distinct advantage of reducedfabric wear during the wash cycle since the amount of flexing of theclothes is reduced. Also, this permits many if not all "washable"fabrics to in fact be washed automatically in the washer rather thanbeing required to be hand washed. The rinse step can either be aconventional deep rinse process or a nonconventional process such as adouble rinse process as described.

The amount of water utilized by the complete cycle embodying theprinciples of the present is no greater and can be less than aconventional wash cycle. For example, an acceptable amount of waterrequired to wash and rinse a 6 pound wash load with the present cycle is87 liters, while a conventional wash cycle would require 150 liters.Hence a savings in water consumption may also be effected.

The high performance spin wash cycle has been tested through a widerange of various parameters set out in the chart below. The greatestimprovement over a conventional cycle has been shown by underlining inspecific ranges.

    ______________________________________                                        PARAMETERS        RANGE                                                       ______________________________________                                        Water Temp. - Degrees C.                                                                         ##STR1##                                                   Water Hardness - PPM                                                                             ##STR2##                                                   Detergent Concentration - %                                                                      ##STR3##                                                   Water Volume - Water:Cloth                                                                       ##STR4##                                                   Detergent Type                                                                                   ##STR5##                                                   ______________________________________                                    

The designations under detergent type which are indicated as showinggreatest improvement over conventional cycle are: phosphate powder (PP);non phosphate (NPN); and multi-functional (MP).

FIG. 4 is a graphic illustration of empirical tests done to determinethe effectiveness of the present wash process under varying watertemperatures. The graphs compare a normal wash cycle (conventionaldetergent concentration and mechanical agitation) with the highperformance wash cycle of the present invention (shown by a shaded bar)for each of three water temperatures, 60° C., 38° C. and 20° C. Percentof soil removal in each case for the high performance wash cycle isgreater than the normal wash cycle and, as temperature decreases thehigh performance wash cycle performs increasingly better than the normalwash cycle, with only a slight decrease in performance of the highperformance wash cycle across the tested temperature spectrum. Asmentioned above, by providing a high degree of washability at a lowertemperature, a savings in energy cost can be realized withoutcompromising wash results. In addition to the energy cost savings, anadvantage of washing in cooler water is that permanent press clotheswill retain their permanent press set longer in that wrinkles will notbe set into the clothes above the resin setting temperature.

FIG. 5 is a graphic illustration of the effects of water hardness on thepresent wash process and on a conventional wash process. Water hardnessis measured by the number of calcium ions in solution. Very hard watermay, for example, have a concentration of 300 parts per million;moderately hard water ranges from approximately 60-150 ppm; and softwater ranges from 0-60 ppm. FIG. 5 illustrates two extremes, that is,hard water of 300 ppm and soft water of 0 ppm. As seen in FIG. 5, thehigh performance cycle of the present invention (shown by a shaded bar)provides greater percentage soil removal than a normal wash cycle forsoft water and provides a marked substantially increased percent soilremoval over a hard water cycle. Specifically, in soft water the normalpercent of soil removal is approximately 85% and with the highperformance wash cycle the soil removal approaches 90%. With hard water,the normal cycle removes approximately 24% and the high performancecycle removes nearly 80%. Thus, the present process provides asubstantial benefit with respect to hard water washing cycles.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention issusceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modificationswhich may differ particularly from those that have been described in thepreceeding specification and description. It should be understood thatwe wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon allsuch modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope ofour contribution to the art.

The embodiments of the invention is which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A method of laundering atextile wash load in a washing apparatus having a rotatable wash zoneincluding a peripheral wall, means for rotating said peripheral wall andsaid wash load in said wash zone about a generally vertical axis, andmeans for proving mechanical agitation to said wash load within saidwash zone, comprising the steps of:(1) introducing said textile washload into said wash zone; (2) rotating said wash load and saidperipheral wall at of speed that is sufficient to maintain the loadagainst the peripheral wall; (3) continuously passing delivering aconcentrated detergent solution in the range of not less thanapproximately 0.5% to 4% detergent concentration through said spinningwash load in the absence of mechanical agitation of said wash loadduring at least a portion of the time said load is being spun so thatthe total effective amount passed through is greater than the amountnecessary to saturate the clothes load; (4) terminating steps 2, and 3after a first predetermined time period; (5) introducing water to saidwash zone to dilute the detergent solution; (6) agitating the load inthe dilute detergent solution for a second predetermined period; and (7)rinsing said detergent solution from said clothes load.
 2. A method oflaundering a textile wash load in a washing apparatus having a rotatablewash zone including a peripheral wall, means for rotating saidperipheral wall and said wash load in said wash zone about a generallyvertical axis, and means for providing mechanical agitation to said washload within said wash zone, comprising the steps of:(1) introducing saidtextile wash load into said wash zone; (2) rotating said wash load andsaid peripheral wall at a speed that is sufficient to maintain the loadagainst the peripheral wall; (3) applying and recirculating to saidspinning wash load a plurality of times in the absence of mechanicalagitation, of said wash load a quantity of detergent solution being onlyslightly in excess of the amount retained by the spinning wash load andhaving a detergent concentration within the range of 0.5% to 4% byweight; (4) terminating steps 2 and 3 after a first predetermined timeperiod; (5) introducing water to said wash zone to dilute the detergentsolution; (6) agitating the load in the dilute detergent solution for asecond predetermined period; and (7) rinsing said detergent solutionfrom said clothes load.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (5)results in a detergent solution which has a concentration of 0.06% to0.28% by weight.
 4. A method of laundering a textile wash load in awashing apparatus having a rotatable wash zone including a peripheralwall, means for rotating said peripheral wall and said wash load in saidwash zone about a generally vertical axis, and means for providingmechanical agitation to a wash load within said wash zone comprising thesteps of:(1) introducing said textile wash load into said wash zone; (2)disolving a quantity of detergent into a minimal quantity of water toform a concentrated detergent solution in the range of not less thanapproximately 0.5% to 4% detergent concentration in an amount in excessof that required to saturate the wash load; (3) rotating said wash loadand said peripheral wall at a speed that is sufficient to maintain theload against the peripheral wall; (4) applying said detergent solutionto said spinning wash load; (5) recirculating said concentrateddetergent solution through said spinning wash load a plurality of timesto substantially permeate said wash load without mechanically agitatingsaid wash load; (6) terminating step 5 after a first predetermined timeperiod; (7) dispensing water into said wash zone to establish a diluteddetergent solution; (8) agitating said wash load in said diluteddetergent solution for a second predetermined period; and (9) rinsingsaid detergent solution from said wash load.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein step (7) results in a detergent solution which has aconcentration of 0.06% to 0.28% by weight.
 6. A method of laundering atextile wash load in a washing apparatus having a wash zone and meansfor providing mechanical agitation to a wash load within said wash zonecomprising the steps of:(1) introducing said textile wash load into saidwash zone; (2) applying and recirculating to said wash load, for a firstpredetermined time period, a quantity of detergent solution being onlyslightly in excess of the amount retained by the wash load and having adetergent concentration within the range of not less than 0.5% to 4% byweight without mechanical agitation of said wash load but whileimparting a continuous centrifugal force to said wash load to cause saiddetergent solution to pass through said clothes load a plurality oftimes; (3) introducing water to said wash zone to dilute the detergentsolution; (4) agitating the wash load in the dilute detergent solutionfor a second predetermined period; and (5) rinsing said detergentsolution from said wash load.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (3)results in a detergent solution which has a concentration of 0.06% to0.28% by weight.
 8. A method of effecting a concentrated centrifugalwashing process in a vertical axis automatic washer of the type having awashing zone and presettable control means whereby a batch of articlesto be laundered may be automatically cycled through a program ofpreselected series of washing, rinsing and drying steps which includesthe steps of:(1) charging said washing zone with a predetermined quantumof articles to be laundered; (2) introducing a concentrated detergentsolution in the range of not less than approximately 0.5% to 4%detergent concentration onto said articles in a quantity sufficient towet the articles to saturation; (3) centrifugally spinning the articlesin the zone to release a portion of said quantity of concentrateddetergent solution from the articles while continuing to introduce theconcentrated detergent solution onto said articles so that the totaleffective amount introduced onto said articles is greater than theamount necessary to saturate said articles, all in the absence ofmechanical agitation of said articles; and (4) thereafter cycling thearticles through a series of steps by which concentration of thedetergent solution is reduced and rinsed from said articles.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, wherein step (4) includes a step of filling saidwashing zone with a quantity of water sufficient to produce a detergentconcentration of less than 1% by weight.
 10. The method of claim 9,wherein step (3) is performed while simultaneously recirculating thereleased detergent solution through the spinning articles for apredetermined period of time in the order of about one to ten minutes.11. A method of laundering a textile wash load in a washing apparatushaving a rotatable wash zone including a peripheral wall, means forrotating said peripheral wall and said wash load in said wash zone abouta generally vertical axis, and means for providing mechanical agitationto said wash load within said wash zone, comprising the steps of:(1)introducing said textile wash load into said wash zone; (2) rotatingsaid wash load and said peripheral wall at a speed that is sufficient tomaintain the load against the peripheral wall; (3) delivering aconcentrated detergent solution in the range of not less thanapproximately 0.5% to 4% detergent concentration onto said load duringat least a portion of the time during which said wash load is spun in anamount sufficient to permeate the entire load a number of times, yetwithout mechanical agitation of the wash load; and (4) thereafterrinsing said detergent solution from said wash load.
 12. A method oflaundering a textile wash load in a washing apparatus having a rotatablewash zone including a peripheral wall, means for rotating saidperipheral wall and said wash load in said wash zone about a generallyvertical axis, and means for providing mechanical agitation to said washload within said wash zone, comprising the steps of:(1) introducing saidtextile wash load into said wash zone; (2) rotating said wash load andsaid peripheral wall at a speed that is sufficient to maintain the loadagainst the peripheral wall; (3) delivering a volume of a concentrateddetergent solution in the range of not less than approximately 0.5% to4% detergent concentration onto said load during at least a portion ofthe time during which said wash load is spun in an amount sufficient tosaturate said wash load without mechanical agitation of said wash load;(4) delivering concentrated detergent solution to said wash load inexcess of the amount required to saturate said wash load while at thesame time extracting the excessive amount of detergent solution from thewash load, all in the absence of mechanical agitation; and (5)thereafter rinsing said detergent solution from said wash load.
 13. Amethod of laundering a textile wash load in a washing apparatus having arotatable wash zone including a peripheral wall, means for rotating saidperipheral wall and said wash load in said wash zone about a generallyvertical axis, and means for providing agitation to said wash loadwithin said wash zone, comprising the steps of:(1) introducing said washload into said wash zone; (2) passing an amount of detergent solutionthrough said wash load in excess of that necessary to saturate the washload without mechanically agitating said wash load; (3) thereafterrinsing said detergent solution from said wash load.
 14. A method oflaundering a textile wash load as recited in claim 13 wherein said washload is agitated for a time within said wash zone during said rinsing.